Tonight we will be looking at the justice of God in his merciful election, found in Romans 9, verses 14 to 18. You can kindly, or gingerly, or aggressively, or however you want to turn there, just get to that passage. Romans 9, verses 14 to 18. I will read from verse 1 to verse 29 to set the context.
I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers my kinsmen, according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.
To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.
And not all are children of Abraham, because they are his offspring. But through Isaac shall your offspring be named. This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said, about this time next year I will return and Sarah shall have a son.
And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing neither good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls. She was told, the older will serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then?
Is there injustice on God's part? By no means.
God's Mercy: The Word to Moses
For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
Will you say to me then, why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will? But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, why have you made me like this?
Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honourable use, and another for dishonorable use. What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory? even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles. As indeed he says in Hosea, those who were not my people I will call my people, and her who was not my beloved I will call beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God.
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay. And as Isaiah predicted, if the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah. Amen.
Let us go to the Lord God in prayer.
Opening Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, the Sovereign One over all the earth, the One who creates it and the One who governs it, the One who deserves all glory and power and honor and fame from us, Lord God, yet sometimes we forget to give that to You. Please forgive us for that, Lord God. Forgive us for not giving You the glory You deserve. forgive us for not trusting in you. As we see in this passage, we see that it is your right, it is your prerogative to choose whom you will choose, Lord God, and help us just to see the insignificance of us as humans and to magnify who you are, to magnify your divine attributes, Lord God, that we might trust in you, that we might give you the praise that is due unto you, Lord God.
I pray that you would God, just be here with your Holy Spirit that you would just open up our hearts that we might submit to you, even if we do not like the things that it says, Lord God. As Titus says, Paul says to Titus, a pastor must hold to the trustworthy word as taught. I think that's the same for all of us, Lord. Help us to hold fast to your word, to submit to it as we should.
We pray all this for the glory of thy name, that we might magnify you, Lord God. Amen.
Introduction
Well, the Book of Romans is written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome, which consisted of both Jewish and Gentile Christians. The thesis of the book can be found in chapter 1, verses 16 and 17, which says this, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every believer, first for the Jew and then for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God has been revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.
And the Apostle expounds on these two verses throughout the rest of the book. He expounds on the power of God for salvation, and how in the gospel is the righteousness of God. The word dikaiosune, which means righteousness, permeates the book of Romans, and this is what Paul's trying to highlight. In 1 verse 18 to 3 verse 20, Paul highlights God's righteousness in his wrath against sinners.
In chapter 3, verse 21 to 45, Paul highlights the saving righteousness of God, specifically talking about the doctrine of justification. Justification simply means that we are legally declared not guilty in God's sight because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, which has been imputed to us. It is Christ's righteousness, it is God's righteousness that we are granted and not our own. And then in chapters 5, 6, and 7, Paul highlights the hope as a result of this, hope as a result of the righteousness by faith, which includes glorification, which is the ultimate purpose or the ultimate end for sinners who are saved, He highlights adoption, that we can be seen as sons of God, and he also highlights sanctification.
And then we come to Romans 9. Now, the attentive reader who reads Romans 1 to 8 will naturally ask the question, Why is it that some Jews do not believe? Why is it some Jews have not submitted to the Lord Jesus Christ? And this is what Paul, this is where Paul undertakes to deal with this question in Romans chapter 9.
In 9 verses, or 9 to 11, excuse me. In 9 verses 1 to 13, Paul highlights who true Israel is, And then in verses 14 to 18, he highlights the justification for that, or the justice behind that, which is what we will be looking at this evening. God is just in election. simply because he claims the right to do so. He claims the right to bestow mercy and to execute judgment.
He is God, he is the maker of heaven and earth, and as we will see, Paul is asserting that it is God's entitlement to that. I know a lot of people don't like that, but may we just put ourselves away for a moment and just look to the Lord Jesus Christ and just look at the deity of our great creator. Romans 9 to 11 is the foundation in eternity for the benefits given in Romans 1 to 8. Romans 9 to 11 is the foundation in eternity for the benefits given in Romans 1 to 8.
I'm going to speak in a systematic way just to hopefully categorize where I'm going, but
Pactum Salutis and Ordo Salutis
we have something called the pactum salutis, that is the pact of salvation, that is before the foundation of the world, before God created the world, God, within his Trinity, within his triunity, he purposed to save sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ. is how that is accomplished in history, it's what Christ has done, and then we have the Ordo Salutis, or the Order of Salvation, and how that's applied to specific individuals, to specific people. There's an excellent book by a man named John Murray called Redemption Accomplished and Applied, and he deals with this very thing. He talks about how it's accomplished, in Christ and then how those benefits are then given or bestowed upon believers. And predestination or election, predestination is the work or the decision of God in eternity to either save sinners, to save some, to elect some, or to send some to eternal punishment.
To either elect some unto eternal life, or to elect some unto eternal punishment, or to send people unto eternal punishment. It's the work in eternity. The elect refers to the people, the people that are saved, specifically the ones who've been chosen for everlasting life. Again, before the foundation of the world.
I think our A predestination is simply one aspect of the order of salvation. As I've said already, the ultimate purpose is glorification. The ultimate end is glorification when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and we get to be with him for eternity. It's glorification, those whom will be glorified, certainly will persevere.
We've heard of the perseverance of the saints. Those who persevere will be sanctified or will live a Christian life and hopefully die more and more unto sin and grow more and more unto conformity with the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are sanctified are justified And just the way we are justified is through the instrument of faith, that is, belief on the Lord Jesus Christ. And we come to that through repentance, that is, we see our sin and the need for the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a change of mind, and we don't have a change of mind unless we've been regenerated, that is, the implanting of a new principle within our heart, or a heart surgery, if you will, by the Holy Spirit.
But none of those things happen. without predestination, without election in eternity. None of those things happen in history without God choosing someone in eternity. It is simply one aspect of salvation. And that's what I just want us to see right now.
Confession on Election and Ordo Salutis
I think our confession highlights this very well in chapter 3, paragraph 6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed in Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit, working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ or affectionately called justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved but the elect only. but the elect only.
So he goes through that ordo salutis, the order of salvation. I think the order of salvation would be an excellent summer study because I think even in evangelical circles, a lot of people question, did I choose God or did God choose me? Well, proper understanding of the order of salvation, I think would clear that up very, very, very well because it is those But certainly if you have faith, certainly that's one aspect. Faith is one aspect of it.
But you don't have faith unless you've been predetermined, unless you've been chosen by God. Unless you've been chosen by God. And certainly it is a beautiful thing, predestination. Election is a wonderful thing.
Since God has foreordained someone, I think of, it's a beautiful and the most joyous arranged marriage. God has picked his bride, he has chosen his bride, and he seeks her out in eternity. What does he say in Ephesians 1, 3? In love, he predestined us.
There is a beautiful motive in predestination. It is love, so that people might be saved. And as we will see soon, it's permeating with mercy, with mercy and kindness. And before we get into the actual doctrine itself and God's justice in it, let us not take our eyes off the Savior.
Pastor Anne Martin, talking about how a pastor's job is to make sure he preaches Christ and him crucified gives this excellent illustration of Christ being the source of life for every doctrine. Let us not forget the Lord Jesus Christ when we study any part, any systematic theology, when we study church history, when we study salvation, let us have our minds and thoughts on the work of the Savior. Even Scripture talks about this in relationship to predestination. Ephesians 1, verses 3 and 4.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him. chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In Romans 8 29, which some theologians see as, or Dr. Robert Raymond sees it as the skeletal framework for that order of salvation or the application of benefit. Romans 8 28 to 30, and we know that for those who love God, All things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.
For those whom he foreknew, that is, those whom he foreordained in an intimate way, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom He called, He also justified. And those whom He justified, He also glorified.
The Justice of God in Election
So with our eyes now fixed on the Savior, let us now look at the doctrine of election, or the justice of God in it. Romans 9, verse 14. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part?
By no means. Romans, the genre of Romans is called a diatribe. It's a rhetorical genre. Rhetoric just means how to argue or a mode of argumentation, and Romans is written this way.
David Allen gives an excellent definition of what this is, so hopefully we can see and understand what's going on throughout the book of Romans with his definition. A diatribe is a modern literary term describing an informal rhetorical mode of argumentation principally characterized by a lively dialogical style, including the use of imaginary discussion with a partner to whom are attributed hypothetical objections and false conclusions. It is a dialogical style, it's a dialogue using imaginary people or an imaginary partner to whom are attributed hypothetical objections and false conclusions. Paul sets forth a doctrine, and then before an opponent of that doctrine can even question it.
Paul does it for them. I can just picture Paul as he's dictating this letter to his scribe, Tertius. He's probably saying, Terti, I'll be the Calvinist, you be the Arminian, and as I lay forth this doctrine, you just ask the question. So what goes on in 13, Paul says, as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
And Tertius will go, what shall we say then? Is God unjust? Or is there injustice on God's part? And Paul goes, by no means.
Paul is already answering the question. Paul's already seeing or anticipating. Some commentators see that Paul is anticipating, or some see it as a result of his ministry and the questions that he faced. I'm sure it's a little bit of both. but he's certainly already seeing the objections that come to election and he's going to respond to them.
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means.
The Objection: Is God Unjust?
Let us look at the objected idea. God salvificly elects or chooses individuals to receive the benefits accomplished by Christ. He simply, salvificly elects individual people to receive the benefits procured by Christ. What's going on in Romans 9 verses 1 to 13?
As I've said already, the perceptive reader would question why some Jews do not believe. And Paul then explains who true Israel is. Let's look at verse 7 in chapter 9. And not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. We see the same thing in Galatians chapter 3. You can turn there. Galatians chapter 3.
Again, relating to Abraham as well. Verse 7, Galatians 3 verse 7, Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham.
It is not ethnic Israel that is saved. It's spiritual Israel that is saved. It's not based on our ethnicity. It's not based on our social standing.
It's not based on our gender. but God simply elects according to his choice. And this is what he says in verse 11, concerning Jacob and Esau, though they were not yet born and had done nothing, neither good or bad. Though they were not yet born and had done nothing, either good or bad. God didn't look down the corridors of time and see which one would choose and which one wouldn't.
He elected before they could do anything, whether good or bad. And then he goes, so that the purpose of election might continue, not because of works, Not based on anything we do, but because of Him who calls. But because of Him who calls. Has the Word of God failed because some Jews do not believe?
No. Because salvation is not based on ethnicity, but it's based on God's purpose of election. God's purpose of election. And may I say something concerning the interpretation of 1 verse 13 or 9 verses 1 to 13.
Sometimes people do not like this and people try to explain this away in many different ways. They see it as referring to ethnic Israel. Some see it as the elect being those whom will choose based on their free will and the reprobate who reject based on their free will. In other words, it's referring to nations and not individual people.
May I say that the presence of verse 14 enhances the idea that God is speaking about individual people. Another way to say verse 14 is this, that doesn't seem very fair, does it? And that's what people normally say, don't they? When they hear this idea of election, that doesn't seem very fair, God.
So if God, if as people try to explain verses 1 to 13, what's their motive? They're trying to make it fair. Why have verses 14 to 18 if he's not speaking about individual people? I think he is speaking about individual people.
He is speaking about specific people he chose before the foundation of the world. Now let us go into the justice of God in it.
Scriptural Evidence for God's Righteousness
We have scriptural evidence, or I call it the scriptural evidence for the righteousness of God in election, which is verses 15 to 18. God is not unjust in election, in predestination, because He's God. That's just, that's it. He's just God.
Were you there in eternity when the Lord God planned or made the blueprints for the earth? Were you there when the Lord God planned out how everything would function according to His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving? Were you sitting in the heavenly house of commons, sipping your latte and watching what God would do? No!
Think about the attributes of God for just one moment. Consider omnipresence. Can you be here and in Jamaica at the same time? Can I be here and sitting there watching myself as I do this?
No, I cannot. God is omnipresent and that the highlights that He is God, as our pastor and brother has said many times, to deny the sovereignty of God is to deny His Godhood. He is just God. He claims the right.
He is entitled to His creatures that He has created. And as we will see, this is what exactly what he says. First of all, to Moses and then to Pharaoh. The structure in 15 to 18 is quite similar.
They actually parallel one another. We have verse 15, a reason for God not being unjust concerning his compassion, and then an implication in verse 16. And then 17 also is answering verse 14. I see it as the as the sovereignty of God in his justice or in his power overhardening as well.
We see a reason for it and then an implication in verse 18. But look at verse 15. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
Grant Osborne, commenting on Romans 9 as a whole, calls the frequent quoting of Old Testament passages pearl-stringing. And what that does, it highlights the unity of Scripture on a theme. This isn't new. God's election is not new.
It happened, again, as we've seen in verse 11, neither good or bad. As we see in Ephesians 1, God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. And as we can see, He says to Moses, verse 15, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. This is found in Exodus 33.
It's this quote from Exodus 33. You can turn there, please. I'm sure you can turn there. It's possible.
You may turn there. Exodus 33, verse 19. What's going on here? What's happening in this section of scripture?
In verse 32, we have the golden calf experience. Moses is up chatting with God, which is amazing up there talking to God and he's he's and he's delayed and the people decide that they will that they will that they will worship and serve a calf and attribute to the calf the saving mercy of God and thus commit idolatry before him and in 33 Moses intercedes he acts as that covenant mediator for his people. We'll be reading at verse 12. Moses said to the Lord, see you say to me bring up this people but you have not let me know whom you will send with me yet you have said I will know I know you by name and you have also found favor in my sight.
Now, therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider, too, that this nation is your people. And he said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. He said to him, If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.
For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not you're going with us so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth? And the Lord said to Moses, This very thing that you have spoken, I will do. For you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.
Moses said, please show me your glory. And he said, I will make my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name, the Lord. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." Listen to this quote by Hodge. It is not unjust in God to exercise His sovereignty in the distribution of His mercies, for He expressly claims the right.
I will have mercy, not me, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. I will forgive those whom I will forgive, and I will be sympathetic to those whom I will be sympathetic to." And look at the implication in verse 16.
Human Will and Effort Are Futile
So then, it does not depend on him who wills or him who runs, but on the mercy of God. What is it? Salvation. It does not depend on him who wills, or him who runs, put on, as I rendered it, the saving mercy of God." The saving mercy of God.
Man's will or effort is futile when it comes to salvation. What is the will? The will is our power of making a reasoned choice, or decision, or of controlling one's own actions. Salvation isn't based on my decision.
I didn't choose to be a believer. I didn't choose to be saved. I didn't want to be saved. except because of the mercy of God. It's not based on my decision, nor is it based on my ability to act upon that decision, but on the saving mercy of God.
It's not anything I can do. The word effort, or as I rendered it, him who runs, Some translators or one grammarians that I read, they say it's used in relationship to athletics. One who's running, one who's working. Doesn't matter how many dumbbell curls you do, you're not going to make it to heaven based on what you do.
If there's anyone out there searching today and they want to look at all the religions and which one is the right one for them, I'm going to just save you some time right now. Every other religion except for Christianity, every other religion except for Christianity, their method of salvation is based on your effort. It's based on what you do. not based on the saving mercy of God. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty dumb sometimes, and sometimes I get home from work and I really want to read, but sometimes I don't do it all the time.
Sometimes I don't do it all the time, but praise be to God that he saves people not based on their will or their efforts. Praise be to God, just even on, just like, just on a purely logical level, God gives us mercy, or we have to earn it. Which one would you pick? I don't know.
God gives us mercy, or you have to earn it. In some religions, there's reincarnation, as if this world, you don't suffer enough, you have to do it all again. That seems a little hopeless, like millions and millions and millions of years. I don't really want to do that.
I really don't want to do that. Praise be to God for His saving mercy. Praise be to God for His saving mercy. And part of the reason man's will is futile and man's effort is futile has already been highlighted in the book of Romans.
Romans 1 to 3 highlights the sinfulness of man. There is no one righteous, no, not one. And then we come to the good news in 3 verse 21. We have a righteousness that is not our own but comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Man falls short of the glory of God according to Romans 3.22. And man is totally depraved.
Total Depravity and Divine Goodness
Man is totally depraved. That doesn't mean man is as bad as he can possibly be. It just means in the totality of my being, from my head to my toes, from my hips to my fingertips, all of me is sinful. And by extension, I am unable to submit to God's law.
Romans 8 Listen to this beautiful, beautiful quote from Calvin. Election is attributed wholly to the divine goodness, which freely takes those whom neither will achieve, nor strive, nor even think of such things. Election is attributed wholly to the divine goodness, which freely takes those whom neither will achieve, nor strive, nor even think of such things. Oh, just, I think we just praise the Lord for that very thing alone, that He saves people not based on what they would do, but according to His goodness and to His mercy.
According to His goodness and to His mercy. And I mentioned the will word. Those who are opposed to this idea of election propound the idea of free will. Typically, we define them as Arminians or define it as Arminianism.
But I think one thing that we all need to take heed of is how our belief on certain doctrines connect with other parts of our systematic theology or other parts of scripture. And when it comes to soteriology, And our minionistic soteriology, that is, Christ died for every single person without exception, as opposed to the Calvinistic theology, that Christ efficaciously died for those who are elect, So the Arminians believe that Christ died for every single person without exception, unlimited atonement, and it is based on their free will that gets them into heaven. What's that saying about theology proper? Arminianism...
I just want to qualify, first of all. I don't think Arminians, first of all, know a lot of the times that they're Arminian. But second of all, I don't necessarily know that they always trace their thoughts concerning salvation to the doctrine of God. I think sometimes we don't do this either.
What are we saying about one thing and how does that relate back to the doctrine of God is something we all need to take heed of. But specifically as I'm dealing with Arminianism, it implicitly denies the omnipotence and the wisdom of God. If so-called God planned to save every single person without exception, then he's got a stupid plan, doesn't he? Again, I don't think Arminians are calling God a wimp, stupid person, or God, or little girl, or any sort of thing like that.
But you have to understand the implication when we say something like that concerning salvation. And when the doctrine of God begins to crumble, I think we've got a huge problem. We've got a huge problem for sure. And what I'm trying to do is to make sure that we magnify God, that He is the Omnipotent One who will save the people whom He will save, and He does it in the most beautiful, wise plan to the salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 16 27 ends, to the only wise God and that in Jesus Christ be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. To that effect. It's anyways praising God for his brilliance.
The only wise God. The only wise God.
God's Sovereignty Over Evil: Pharaoh
Now let us look at God's sovereign choice, God's supremacy in justice, in judgment, over evil. Over evil in verse 17, verses 17 and 18. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I raised you up. by indirect application for the scripture says.
As we see in Exodus 9, it's really God who's speaking. And that gives us another text to highlight that the scripture is the very words of God. The scripture says to Pharaoh, or God through Moses to Pharaoh, for this very purpose, I have raised you up. For this very purpose, I have raised you up.
Whereas Fritz Reinecker and Cleon Rogers, cool names, Fritz Reinecker and Cleon Rogers, in their excellent linguistic key to the New Testament Greek text, highlight that the idea of God raising them up has this idea, that God raised them up on the stage of history for this purpose. God raised them up on the stage of history for this purpose. And here is the purpose. That I might show my power in you. that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." God is glorifying his name, he's magnifying his majesty, through vessels of wrath.
Through vessels of wrath. And as I've said already, Paul already asked the question that opponents would ask, and he does the same thing in verse 19. How can God find fault? What does he say in verse 20?
Be quiet. Be quiet. What if God desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy. Doesn't he do this in the Exodus account?
He demonstrates His grace and His goodness through vessels that are devoted to destruction. Through vessels that are devoted to destruction to proclaim His name, He saves the people of Israel through Pharaoh, through the hardness of Pharaoh. And may I say this to concerning Exodus? A lot of people question, did God harden Pharaoh's heart, or did Pharaoh God hardened his own heart.
What's the first instance in Exodus 4.21? God hardened Pharaoh's heart. hardened Pharaoh's heart for this purpose, that he might proclaim his name in all the earth. And isn't it proclaimed? We have Exodus in our Bible now, don't we?
It's proclaimed throughout all the earth. And even in the text, in Exodus chapter 9, just so you understand the context a little bit, it's through the plague cycles and it's the plague of hail that that Moses is pronouncing upon, or God is pronouncing through Moses upon Egypt. And then we have the implication in verse 18. Implication in verse 18.
Oh, sorry. First of all, I want to read a quote by Hodge about Pharaoh. Pharaoh was no worse than any other men who have obtained mercy. Yet God, for wise and benevolent reasons, withheld from him the saving influences of his grace and gave him up to his own wicked hearts that he became more and more hardened until he was finally destroyed.
God worked through Pharaoh. God hardened Pharaoh's heart for a sufficient reason that we cannot understand, that we do not necessarily know. Obviously, we see it now, we see it that he did that to, sorry, we do see that in Exodus, that he did demonstrate his mercy and his glory through Pharaoh, but sometimes we don't always know why God does things, but he does have a morally sufficient reason for that. Then let's look at the implication in verse 18.
Implication: God Hardens Whom He Wills
The implication in verse 18. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. God's plan is ultimate in election. God's plan is ultimate in election.
Listen to this quote by Cranfield. Men's stance in relation to God's purpose depend ultimately on God. depend ultimately on God, he has mercy on some in the sense that he determines them for a positive role in relation to his purpose, to a conscious and voluntary service. Others he hardens in the sense that he determines them for a negative role in relation to his purpose for an unconscious involuntary service. God is the king of the earth.
God is the king of the universe. God is the creator of it. And he can do as he jolly good and well pleases. He can do whatever He wants because He is the Omnipotent One.
He is the Wise One. He is the One that we must submit to. He is the One we must submit to. If I can go back to the observation that people question the election by saying that it's just not fair.
And usually what they have in mind when they say it's not fair is that God sends people to hell based on his choice. But to only focus on reprobation misses the point of the text. It misses the point of the text. Notice the emphasis is on God's mercy.
God's mercy. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. And I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Even the quote comes on the heels of the golden calf.
We see God's grace and kindness in that event. For the scripture says, even the Pharaoh, sorry, verse 16, but God who has mercy, even in verse 17, the account with Pharaoh. The account with Pharaoh, God says, I'm gonna send hail, take your livestock in so that they don't die. God is even demonstrating his patience for vessels of wrath in that account.
And then verse 18, he has mercy. And again, what's the emphasis? God. God's mercy.
God's mercy. God's mercy. We have the one, we are the ones that have sinned against the Supreme Judge. We are the ones that have sinned against the Supreme Judge.
And who are we to question that? Owen has an amazing, I love this illustration from his book, Death of Death. I used it in a lot of papers because I just put the big block quote in. I know that would take up half a page as well, so that was pretty helpful.
So anyway, he highlights the relationship between man and between God. God is the creditor and man is the debtor. First, the debtor is man. He oweth the 10,000 talents.
Secondly, the debt is sin. Thirdly, that which is required in lieu of sin to make satisfaction for it is death. Fourthly, the obligation whereby the debtor is tied and bound is the law of God. Fifthly, the creditor that requireth this of us is God, considered as the party offended, severe judge, and supreme Lord of all things.
But praise the Lord it doesn't stop there because we have a sixth point. Sixthly, that which interveneth to the destruction of the obligation is the ransom paid by Christ. Is the ransom paid by Christ? Election highlights God's mercy and God's goodness in his act in eternity to save people in history.
What a blessing it is to know that. It is a blessing that should give us great joy and give us great security and push us to praise the Lord God. push us to praise the Lord God.
Application
I just want to close with a few concluding things that I've observed concerning this doctrine of election, doctrine of predestination. The first is this. Those whom are elect are only known by God. Those whom are elect are only known by God.
I don't walk down the street going, that guy's elect, that guy's a wretch and a reprobate and going to hell. I don't go, that guy's certainly going to hell and that guy's certainly not. It is God's knowledge. And I think that extends to children as well.
That extends to children as well. I don't have a kid yet. I pray that the Lord God would bless Jessica and I with little munchkins that run around and we can love them with great, great love. But what I'm trying to say is that God knows whom he will save, and that extends to children as well.
Certainly parents should seek to raise them in a manner consistent with scripture, but ultimately, salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord, and we must trust him in that. Chrysostom has an excellent quote. God was telling Moses, that it was not his to know who was deserving God's love toward man.
Rather, Moses was to leave that up to God. Moses was to leave salvation up to God. But it is not as though we can't see some sort of manifestation or some sort of evidence of election in history, some sort of evidence of it. And, sorry, first of all, the means by which the elect are called forth is through the gospel.
It's through the gospel. It's not as though at the end of time God would, at the end we're just going to figure out who's elect and who's predestined and who's not. No, God calls them forth through the proclamation of the gospel. Listen to Romans 10 verses 14 to 17.
How, then, will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing. and hearing through the word of God. As we proclaim the word of God, God, using the dragnet analogy, pulls his fish in, grabs his, or draws the wheat unto himself through the proclamation of the gospel.
And may I say that there is an eschatological implication when it comes to this idea of election. There is an eschatological implication with this. Now I must confess, I haven't quite landed yet when it comes to premillennialism, amillennialism, or postmillennialism. But one thing I know, and that's why I'm going to seminary, so I learn these things and land before this is full time, but one thing I do know concerning the second coming of Christ.
It will not happen until the last person that the Lord God has chosen believes. It will not happen until the last person that is chosen believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's called through the proclamation of the gospel. Certainly, what does that say? It gives the end times, the second coming of Christ, it puts it in the knowledge of God.
And so what do we do? We just let him deal with that. We just, as believers, we just simply should just live our lives and not worry about those, and not worry about when it's coming, but just live in a manner consistent with the Gospel, because God knows when the time is, and we need to trust Him with that. We need to trust Him with that.
And for believers, I'm sure some are questioning whether or not they are elect or predestined or any of those sort of things, but carefully consider the benefits. Carefully consider the order of salvation. As I've said, predestination is just one aspect. It is the eternal aspect of the things that happen in history.
Are you being sanctified? Are you being conformed more and more to the image of Christ by the work of the Spirit? Are you dying more and more into sin? Are you hating sin?
Not perfectly, especially not on this side of heaven, but are you dying more and more unto it? they die more and more unto it. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and thus are considered righteous in His sight, justified in His sight, adopted as a son of God, adopted as a son of God? Have you considered these things? And if so, Praise the Lord God that salvation happened in eternity, that by His goodness and by His mercy and by His compassion, He predetermined whom He will save.
And give Him praise and honor for that. That should just have something well up inside when we just want to praise the Lord. So I pray that we would do that for His goodness and His kindness and His mercy. I think this is an encouragement as well.
This is an encouragement as well, because God will do what He said He will do. He's not immutable. He doesn't change on a dime. He doesn't cater to our every whim.
He doesn't change His plans based on what we would do. He's not passable. He's impassable. But he does exactly what he said he will do.
We have a powerful, omnipotent God that we can call upon, one we can trust in, and one that we know is governing the world according to his wise and powerful preserving. Praise the Lord for that. Praise the Lord that we have a good God, a kind God, a just, powerful, wise God. A just and powerful, wise God.
I just want to conclude with the consideration when it comes to the gospel. One thing that this teaches us, especially in verse 16, is our inability to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our inability to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our inability for saving mercy.
Our inability for that. And certainly it is the Lord God who teaches us what sin is through regenerating our hearts and giving us a heart of stone, or changing a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. But the way, as I said, that happens is through the proclamation of the gospel. And if I'm going to be consistent with my beliefs in election and the way the elect are drawn forth, I must proclaim this. died for the ungodly, Christ died for his people, Christ died for sinners.
If you have Well, unbeliever, you have transgressed the law of God. Paul says that in Romans 1 to 3. Now, I would implore you now to believe on Him, have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and as I've said already, He will and can save you from your sins. Let's praise His name and go to Him in prayer.
Closing Prayer
Jeremy, Father, we thank you for this day, Lord God. We thank you that you are God and we are man. Sometimes we hate that. Help us to... to confess our pride, Lord God, and to commit our sinfulness to you, Lord God, and ask for mercy.
We just thank you for your mercy, Lord God. We thank you that you do save according to your will, God, that you will do exactly as you have planned, Lord God, and we want to praise your name for this. We pray that you would continue to draw the elect forth, that you would save sinners from their sins, Lord God, that you would just grant them the benefits that you have talked about in Scripture, Lord God, that you would justify them, that you would You would sanctify them, Lord God, and just help us to trust in You daily, to put away our humanity, and to trust in the deity, Lord God. We just praise Your name for the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are predestined in Him, that He's procured salvation for His people.
We want to praise Your name for that, Lord God. Amen.